Instagram

You’ve heard of it, you may even have your own account, but if you aren’t using Instagram to meet new customers and drive more sales, you’re missing out. Step up your social media strategy with the tips and suggestions below.

 

Get Started

The first step is to create an account. If you already have an account that you use for business purposes, convert it to a business account here. You must convert your profile to a business account if you want access to the “contact” feature and business insights.

Once you’re done with that, connect your account to your BloomNation profile so your customers know where to go.

Learn how to use their analytical tools so you stay on the right track and improve your Instagram thoughtfully over time. You can also review how to use promoted posts but, don’t try to do too much at once, especially if it requires spending money.

 

Know Your Audience

Infographic from SproutSocial.com

As you can see in the image below, as of May 2015 nearly 30% of Instagram users are women, and over 75% are 18-49. This means that Instagram is especially great for reaching Millennials and adults with disposable income. People like young couples looking for wedding flowers and high school students needing homecoming corsages use Instagram an average of 20 minutes every day. Make sure you curate your content to appeal to that kind of audience.

 

Take Great Pictures

You could spend the rest of your life learning nuanced social media techniques, honing your hashtags, and spending money on paid ads. But none of it will matter if you don’t take amazing pictures that people look forward to seeing. While you shouldn’t fill your profile entirely with product photos, let your best designs do double duty by sharing new arrangements as you upload them to your site. When you feel ready, try adding some short videos to give your feed a little variety.

Don’t go too crazy with the filters. It’s always better to start with a great picture than rely on editing them later. Use our photography guide to get started or learn new tips. 

@ThePetalWorkshop shows off his style with amazing pictures taken right from his iPhone.

 

Keep It Professional

Instagram now makes it easy to have more than one account on the same phone or other devices. While it’s a great idea to show behind the scenes (#bts) glimpses into your shop’s life, your personality, and why you love your job, it’s best to keep really personal stuff to yourself. Remember your audience are your customers, not your besties.

 

Be Social

Instagram is called a social media platform for a reason—you won’t get engaged followers until you follow and engage with others. Follow other accounts, like posts that resonate with your brand, and comment on photos so people get to know you. The more you interact with others, the easier it will be for your customers to discover you.

Look to other accounts for inspiration, and incorporate their best practices into your own strategy. Instagram shares a few of their favorites here (look out for BloomNation Partner Florist Flowers for Dreams!). Feel free to share your favorites on your own feed as well, as long as you give the original account credit.

Easy ways to expand your network include:

• Re-sharing pictures of your work from other accounts (always give them credit) of your work from other accounts (always give them credit)
• taking pictures with products from your favorite businesses. Ex. loose stems next to a cupcake from the shop next door. Don’t forget to tag them!
• Adding the location to pictures of your designs at their final destination. This is especially important with wedding venues.
• Use hashtags that help compliment your brand identity and help people find you. We’ll cover how to use hashtags strategically in a later post but for now, write a few that describe your image in the first comment of your post.